The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-07-21

Mr.. EDITOR: Our eye has recently
fallen upon an extract from a copy OF
hSo,ah earoAn;ian'' published in 1858.
fhis exlfsct Il coIhmdnication on ccm-
mon schools, which was written by DR..
Lieber under the nom de plume Of Free. a!'
dom. We ask you to republish this let
ter IN your educational column, believ-
Ing it will interest all of your readers
who afe interested III the common school
education Of our people. ". s: NJ.
Common Schools.
Mr.. EDrroR: I rejoice with every
loyal citizen Of; South Carolina that Gov
etIlot Manning has clearly and ably
brought the ail:impo portants subject Of COM
mon schools before the Legislature. 1t
Is 4 subject Of so essential and compre-
nensissl Importance, that every one
ourht is. contribute his mite to thor
ouSh discussion. This is the object Of
nv contribution. It gives the unassum-
ing opinion of a single individual, but
: an Individual who has much reflected on
the subject, and who has observed and
studied the. operation Of public school
systemsii IN many States, and in foreign
counties. 4 have not yet seen the letter
Of the President of the South Carolina
College, mentioned in the Governors
message, and which doubtless deserves
the most rerious and sincere attention.
nor have I ever had any conversation
with him on the wantssof our State IN
this particular. IF our minds have come
to: che same conclusions, it will give some
additional weight to his recommends
tions.; if We differ, it may lead to addi'
tional reflection in those who must de-
eide on the matter, and adopt definite
measures.
/ take it for granted that all right
minded men agree as .to.the necessity OF
general education. Governor Manning
puts the subject on the proper basis when
he calls common education, among others,
a measured of public safety. Itisa proud
thing that modern civilized States con-
slider education, that is the development
ofsman and progress Of society, an ele'
ment and indeed, a basis of safety !;
while formerly the general diffusion OF
knowledge was frequently esteemed to be
q cause of disquiet, and even of disorder.
But if It be SO, We must provide for it,
and in doing so, We are bound to pay re-
gard to all the laws of general and
efficient action; among other things, we
must needs adopt our means to the given
circumstances and not only ask ourselves
what is it thatis desirable to be obtained,
: but also what can be obtained With the
means at our disposal, and under the
circumstances which surround us?
With reference to all these points,
there seems to me certain measures
necessary and indispensable and others
desirable.
Necessary seems to me:
That the State be disfded into
school districts, with such an organiza-
ton. as to provide for public and elemen.
tary, education and especially,
2. NTH the right to tax themselves
for the purpose Of providing for common
schools, and with the privilege of claim
ing from the public treasury a sum equal
or otherwise proportiouate to that which
the school district has imposed on itself.
This principle has worked admirably
wherever it.has been adopted.
8. The appointment Of q new School
Commissioners as Governor Manning
recommends is indispensable; but I
would not give the appointment to the
faculty of the South Carolina College.
It seems preferable that the appointment
be simply given to the Governor, with
the consent of the Senate.
Common elementary education ought
to be made obligatory in some degree,
and by some means direct or indirect.
The legality of such measure can not
be doubted, even if education be consid-
cred, by way of safety, only as police
measure. There is this essential differ.
ence between education and an article
of common consumption, that the want
or absence of desirable article of con.
sumption creates demand; while the
least educated desire education the least.
Ansempty stomach Graves for bread; an
empty head despises education.
5. It's necessary to provide for those
parts of our State in which the popula'
tion of the educable (if I can make a
word) is SO that they cannot be easily
collected in general school. 1t seems
that We must adopt the law which
prevails in the world of exchange, wher-
/. ever the population is 80 thin that the
consumer can not 60 to the shop the
shop goes to the consumer, and itinerant
merchants, from the richly-freighted
floating markets on the Ohio and the
Mississippi, to the humble pedestrian
carrier of his own merchandise, bring
the commodity within the reach of the
consumer. In similar way it will be
found necessary to appoint schoolmasters
in some parts of our State, who shall
teach for three months in some place,
and for the next quarter in another. !
know very well that this would be diff
fculs way of instructing, but it would be
better than no instruction, and be at any
rate beginning. The church has been
obliged to adopt the same principle in
many counties. If there be not sufti.
cient population to erect church or
meeting house, the gospel is preached to
smaller clusters at least occasionally
and, deficient as this method Of dispens-
So &ba roona1 NOV ha we all acEnoWl.